well
/ˈwɛl/ adverb, adjective, interjection, noun, verb, proper noun
Also a form of better
Forms better best weller wellest wells welling welled wall weel weil welp val vell
- adverb (manner) Accurately, competently, satisfactorily. “He does his job well.”
- adverb (manner) Completely, fully. “I prefer a well done steak.”
- adverb (degree) To a significant degree. “That author is well known.”
- adverb (degree, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang) Very (as a general-purpose intensifier).
- adverb In a desirable manner; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favourably; advantageously. “I'm glad Joe got fired last week. I think we're well rid of him.”
- adjective In good health. “I've been sick, but now I'm well.”
- adjective Highly satisfactory “Everything well with you?”
- adjective Good, content. ““How are you?” — “I'm well, thank you!””
- adjective (uncommon) Prudent; good; well-advised.
- adjective (archaic, now chiefly Bermuda) Good to eat; tasty, delicious.
- interjection Used as a discourse marker. ““So, what have you been doing?” “Well, we went for a picnic; and then it started raining, so we came home early.””
- interjection Used as a hedge. ““The car is broken.” “Well, we could walk to the movies instead.””
- interjection Expressing reluctance to say something. “It was a bit... well, too loud.”
- interjection An exclamation of sarcastic surprise (often doubled or tripled and in a lowering intonation). “Well, well, well, what do we have here?”
- interjection An exclamation of indignance. “Well! There was no need to say that in front of my mother!”
- interjection (Ireland) Used as a greeting, short for "Are you well?" “Well, lads? How's things?”
- interjection Used as a question to demand an answer from someone. “And what do you think you're doing? ... Well?”
- noun A hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, oil, natural gas or other fluids.
- noun A place where a liquid such as water surfaces naturally; a spring.
- noun A small depression, e.g. suitable for holding liquid or other objects. “Make a well in the dough mixture and pour in the milk.”
Synonyms
OK hot like you know I mean so see look as if shaft wellspring fountainhead swell good easily considerably substantially intimately advantageously comfortably
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English wel, wal, wol, wele, from Old English wel (“well, abundantly, very, very easily, very much, fully, quite, nearly”), from Proto-Germanic *wela, *wala (“well”, literally “as wished, as desired”), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“wish, desire”).
Cognate with Yola vella, waal, wel, well, wull (“well”), Cimbrian boll, bóol (“well”), Dutch wel (“well”), German wohl, wol, woll (“well”), Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk vel (“well”), Faroese væl (“well”), Swedish väl, waͤl (“well”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰 (waila, “well”). Related to will.
From Middle English welle, from Old English wielle (“well”), from Proto-West Germanic *wallijā, from Proto-Germanic *wallijǭ (“well, swirl, wave”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn; wind; roll”).
Cognate with West Frisian wel (“well”), Dutch wel (“well”), German Low German Well (“well”), German Welle (“wave”), Danish væld (“well; spring”), Swedish väl (“well”), Icelandic vella (“boiling; bubbling; eruption”).
From Middle English wellen, from a merger of Old English weallan (intransitive) and wiellan (transitive), both meaning “to boil.” Further from Proto-Germanic *wallaną and *wallijaną. Doublet of wall.
Cognate with German wallen (“boil, seethe”), Danish vælde (“gush”), Norwegian Nynorsk vella and outside Germanic, with Albanian valë (“hot, boiling”).
Most, if not all, of the placenames are derived from the noun well.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An issue of water from the earth; a spring; a fountain.
- noun A pit or hole sunk into the earth to such a depth as to reach a supply of water, generally of a cylindrical form, and often walled with stone or bricks to prevent the earth from caving in. The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. John iv. 11.
- verb To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring.
- verb To pour forth, as from a well. Spenser.
Etymology [OE. welle, AS. wella, wylla, from weallan to well up, surge, boil; akin to D. wel a spring or fountain. Well, v. i.]
Etymology [OE. wellen, AS. wyllan, wellan, fr. weallan; akin to OFries. walla, OS. & OHG. wallan, G. wallen, Icel. vella, G. welle, wave, OHG. wella, walm, AS. wylm; cf. L. volvere to roll, Gr. Voluble, Wallop to boil, Wallow, Weld of metal.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “well”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details